Category: General

Gaza – Together – UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini called on the Security Council to investigate the blatant disregard for United Nations operations in Gaza after the martyrdom of hundreds of its employees and the destruction of its buildings, directing criticism at Israel.

Lazzarini said that he called on ‘members of the Security Council to conduct an independent investigation and accountability for the blatant disregard for UN buildings, UN personnel and UN operations in the Gaza Strip,’ adding that ‘the evacuated agency buildings were used for military purposes, while agency employees were arrested and tortured.’ “.

‘Here lies the importance of conducting investigation and accountability,’ Lazzarini said, ‘to avoid establishing lower standards in any future conflicts.’

Lazzarini’s statements came the day after the issuance of a report by an independent committee tasked by the United Nations to conduct an evaluation of the agency’s performance.

The report indicated that Israel did not provi
de evidence to support its accusations that UNRWA employees were connected to terrorist organizations, but it also concluded that the agency suffers from ‘problems related to neutrality,’ especially with regard to its employees’ use of social media networks.

Since the outbreak of war, 180 UNRWA employees have been martyred, 160 of its buildings have been damaged or destroyed, and ‘at least 400 people have been killed while seeking the protection provided by the UN flag,’ according to Lazzarini.

Israel accused the UN agency of ’employing more than 400 terrorists in Gaza, including 12 employees who directly participated in the October 7 attack.’ The Israeli accusations against UNRWA prompted about 15 donors, primarily the United States and the United Kingdom, to freeze its funding in January. .

A number of these entities have resumed funding UNRWA, including the Scandinavian countries, Japan, Germany, France and Canada.

Source: Maan News Agency

Hebron – Ma’an – This afternoon, the occupation army executed a girl on bypass road 60 north of the city of Hebron.

The General Authority for Civil Affairs informed the Ministry of Health of the death of Maimunah Abdel Hamid Harahsheh (20 years old) by occupation bullets north of Hebron.

An eyewitness said that the occupation soldiers executed a Palestinian girl on the bypass road.

He added, in his conversation with our correspondent in Hebron, that the occupation soldiers fired several bullets from zero range towards the girl, who fell to the ground covered in her blood.

He continued: I was inside a car crossing the street, and I saw the occupation soldiers pointing their rifles at the girl, who was standing still and did not move or make any suspicious movement, and then the soldiers shot her.

The occupation army claimed that the girl was carrying a knife and attempted to carry out a stabbing attack.

Source: Maan News Agency

ABU DHABI: H.H. Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Executive Council, has attended the 15th EmiratesSkills National Competition, being held under the patronage of H.H. Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak (the Mother of the Nation), Chairwoman of the General Women’s Union (GWU), President of the Supreme Council for Motherhood and Childhood, and Supreme Chairwoman of the Family Development Foundation (FDF).

The event is being organised by the Abu Dhabi Centre for Technical and Vocational Education and Training (ACTVET) at Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre (ADNEC) until 24th April.

Sheikh Khaled was briefed on competition skills from the engineering, industrial and professional sectors, which are aligned with future job market demands, and met with Emirati students working in technical and vocational fields.

He highlighted the role of competitions such as the EmiratesSkills National Competition in helping to promote cooperation among students, as
well as support the acquisition of new vocational and technical skills, and encourage lifelong learning. He reiterated that supporting UAE talent to enhance the country’s global competitiveness is a priority for the UAE leadership, as a way of driving national growth and development.

The Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi was accompanied by Saif Saeed Ghobash, Secretary-General of the Abu Dhabi Executive Council; and Dr. Mubarak Saeed Al Shamsi, Director General of ACTVET.

The Emirates Skills National Competition serves as a national platform to showcase technical and vocational education for UAE youth aged 16-21 years, with the exception of the aircraft maintenance category, which accepts competitors up to the age of 24.

Alongside the main competition, an international friendly skills competition is held, featuring competitors from 17 countries. UAE youth compete in various technical and vocational skills along with peers from different nations, in preparation for the WorldSkills Competition in Lyon, France, in Se
ptember 2024.

Source: Emirates News Agency

DUBAI: His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, Chairman of The Executive Council of Dubai, and First Deputy Chairman of the Dubai Council; and His Highness Sheikh Maktoum bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, First Deputy Ruler of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance of the UAE, and Second Deputy Chairman of the Dubai Council, attended the signing of a number of performance agreements for Dubai Government officials holding the rank of director general.

The signed agreements virtually represent a performance charter for Dubai Government’s senior officials, aiming to uphold principles of transparency and to promote the highest standards of government work.

H.H. Sheikh Hamdan noted that performance agreements for director generals in the Dubai Government reflect the philosophy of H.H. Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, in the context of government performance, seeking ‘a government w
ith people at its centre, which is as effective, transparent, agile, and competitive as the private sector.’

His Highness said: ‘Government entities in Dubai continue to dedicate all efforts and capabilities to advance government systems and services, with the aim of ensuring the happiness of community members and establishing Dubai’s status as a favourite destination to live, work and invest. This aligns with the Dubai Economic Agenda (D33) objectives to make Dubai one of the world’s top 3 urban economies, as well as the Dubai Social Agenda 33 objectives to create the ideal city in terms of living experience.

‘Accomplishments in the field of advancing government work across all sectors are the motivation to redouble efforts and further collaboration between all relevant parties to reach highest levels of efficiency and achieve Dubai’s development aspirations. We will only accept being the world’s number one in terms of services. We continue to develop an ideal work environment across all Dubai Government d
epartments where everyone competes to serve our nation and our people,’ he added.

Signatories to the performance agreements included Her Excellency Hessa bint Essa BuHumaid, Director General of the Dubai Community Development Authority; His Excellency Mohammed Abdulla Lengawi, Director General of the Dubai Civil Aviation Authority; His Excellency Abdullah Ali bin Zayed Al Falasi, Director General of Dubai Government Human Resources Department; Her Excellency Aisha Abdulla Miran, Director General of the Dubai Knowledge and Human Development Authority; His Excellency Dr. Saif Ghanem Al Suwaidi, Director General of Dubai Courts; His Excellency Eng. Marwan bin Ghalita, Acting Director General of the Dubai Land Department; His Excellency Ahmed Darwish Al Muhairi, Director General of the Islamic Affairs and Charitable Activities Department in Dubai; His Excellency Dr. Abdullah Mohammed Busnad, Director General of Dubai Customs; and His Excellency Ahmed Mohammed bin Thani, Director General of Dubai Environment and
Climate Change Authority.

Performance agreements for Dubai Government’s directors general list clear performance objectives and criteria within a specified timeframe with the aim of achieving Dubai’s vision of being the world’s best city to live and work. The agreements serve to reaffirm the commitment of directors general to fulfil Dubai’s strategy of prioritising citizens by ensuring their wellbeing and family stability, promoting a stimulating environment for businesses, and attracting international businesses and investments via projects that further cement Dubai’s global competitiveness.

Optimising resources

Performance agreements identify the key objectives and relevant timeframes for strategic projects assigned to directors, thus helping meet performance indicators and fulfilling Dubai’s futuristic vision.

They include a commitment by Dubai Government’s directors general to adhere to the highest levels of integrity, transparency and neutrality in decision-making, to ensure optimal use of resources
in the best interests of the public, to continuously improve procedures, to review, improve and update legislation and policies, and to regularly report on the performance of their respective departments. They also pledge to maintain Dubai’s leadership and competitiveness by collaborating with all government entities as a single team with a shared vision, while committing to train, mentor and empower future leaders.

Directors general signing the performance agreements pledge to use public money and government resources efficiently and responsibly, to adopt practices that help cut costs without compromising quality, to be open to change and proactive in seizing opportunities and making informed decisions, and to continue to adopt best practices that further solidify Dubai’s global leadership.

Source: Emirates News Agency

Al-Rusafa police forces arrested a brother who killed his brother after fatally stabbing him several times due to disputes over inheritance in Al-Shaab area, northeast of Baghdad, hours after the crime./End

Source: National Iraqi News Agency